Apparatus for dispersing finely divided solid particles in a liquid vehicle

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for dispersing solid particles in a liquid vehicle utilizing a separator surrounding an agitating shaft and having a filter screen surrounding the separator, the screen being formed in two halves which are removably secured to the separator, the apparatus being provided with a hand hole in the mixing vessel wall for access to the screen member. The apparatus is also provided with convenient means for releasing the dispersing media and the remaining product from the bottom of the vessel.

United States Patent [191 Schold et a1.

[ Oct. 29, 1974 APPARATUS FOR DISPERSING FINELY DIVIDED SOLID PARTICLES IN A M11111) VEHICLE [75] Inventors: George R. Schold, 7909 2nd St.,

North, St. Petersburg, Fla. 33702; James D. Fischbeck, Burbank, Ill.

[73] Assignee: George R. Schold, St. Petersburg,

Fla. a part interest [22] Filed: Dec. 6, 1972 [21] Appl. No.2 312,655

[52] US. Cl 241/74, 241/171, 241/172 [51] Int. Cl. 1302c 117/16 [58] Field of Search 241/69, 73, 74 D, 67, 170, 241/171, 172

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,134,549 5/1964 Quackenbush et a]. 241/171 X 3,337,140 8/1967 Wahl 241/172 X 3,545,687 12/1970 Mosby 241/172 X 3,653,600 4/1972 Schold 241/74 Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner-E. F. Desmond Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Frank R. Thienpont [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for dispersing solid particles in a liquid vehicle utilizing a separator surrounding an agitating shaft and having a filter screen surrounding the separator, the screen being formed in two halves which are removably secured to the separator, the apparatus being provided with a hand hole in the mixing vessel wall for access to the screen member. The apparatus is also provided with convenient means for releasing the dispersing media and the remaining product from the bottom of the vessel.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PAIENTEBUCIZQ 1914 1844390 I saw HP 2 HF" MW MW PATENIEU H81 29 5974 APPARATUS FOR DISPERSING FINELY DIVIDED SOLID PARTICLES IN A LIQUID VEHICLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for uniformly producing finely divided particles and uniformly distributing such finely divided particles in a liquid vehicle.

The invention herein constitutes an improvement to apparatus of the type disclosed in my US. Pat. No. 3,653,600, issued Apr. 4, 1972. Units of this type can be made in various sizes ranging from small /2 gallon laboratory units to units in which the mixing vessel has a much larger capacity. For example, units already have been constructed in which the mixing vessel has a 100 gallon capacity. With such larger size units there are problems of accessibility with respect to replacement of parts, removing finished product which remains in the vessel at the end of a production run, and removal of used dispersing media.

US. Pat. No. 3,653,600, for example, discloses a rotor separator having a filter screen disposed on the outside of the rotor separator. It eventually becomes necessary to remove such screens either for replacement or cleaning. In small size units this presents no real problem because the rotor separator together with the associated agitator carrying shaft can be easily removed through the top of the vessel. In larger units, such as a 100 gallon unit, for example, the size and weight of the parts make this approach very difficult. Accordingly, some other more simple means must be provided to remove and replace the filter screen element. This is accomplished basically by providing a hand hole in the mixing vessel wall adjacent the rotor separator to provide easy access thereto and making the filter screen in two halves which can be easily secured to and removed from the separator.

Another accessibility problem encountered especially in larger size units relates to the processed product itself. In a 100 gallon unit, for example, in which the outlet for the product is at the top of the unit substantially 100 gallons of processed product remains in the unit at the end of a production run. In order to remove this processed product, I provide in the base of the mixing vessel, a screened drain hole which may be controlled with a drain plug or an associated valve means.

Still another accessibility problem encountered espe cially in the larger size units involves the dispersing media such as the metal shot. From time to time the dispersing media needs to be replaced. Since the mixing vessel chamber in its non-operative state is filled about half way with dispersing media, it is apparent that removal of the media presents a problem. To solve this problem I have provided another outlet in the base of the mixing vessel which may be opened to permit the shot to run out.

Accordingly it is a principal object of this invention to provide the rotor separator with filter screen means that is easily accessible and removable from the separator from inside the mixing vessel.

Another object is to provide easy accessibility to the separator by providing hand hole means in the mixing vessel wall, adjacent the separator to clean or change the filter screen.

, A further object is to provide a drain means in the lower portion of the mixing vessel to drain fluid product remaining in the vessel at the end of a production run.

Another object is to provide in the lower portion of the mixing vessel a means for easily removing the dispersing media from the vessel.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent when considered in connection with the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 11 is a cut-away sectional view in elevation of ap paratus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation of the filter screen member which surrounds the separator;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the filter screen means taken along line 3-3 of FIG. I;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the bottom of the mixing vessel taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view in elevation of the upper portion of the mixing vessel showing the hand-hole in the mixing vessel wall in relation to the separator;

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view showing the hand-hole taken through line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS We refer now to the drawings wherein like reference characters in the several views designate similar parts. Referring to FIG. '1, 10 designates generally the dispersing apparatus or mill embodying the invention herein. The dispersing apparatus 10 which is substantially like that disclosed in my US. Pat. No. 3,653,600, comprises a generally cylindrical vessel 12, a rotatable agitator shaft, a drive unit 16 for driving the shaft 14, a plurality of impellers or agitator discs 18 mounted on the shaft 14, and a rotor separator 20 secured to the shaft 14. The vessel 10 and drive unit 16 usually are mounted on a suitable supporting frame 21. A pump 22 is associated with the mill to introduce premixed material into the vessel 12 to be processed. A circumferential jacket 24 is radially spaced from the vessel 12 to form therewith a chamber 26 through which a temperature controlling fluid may be circulated by means of inlet and outlet connections 28 and 30 at the upper and lower parts of the chamber 26.

The vessel is partially filled with a dispersing media 29 such as steel shot, for example, but other types of dispersing media can also be used. When steel shot is used, the vessel preferably is filled only about half way.

In the illustrated embodiment the vessel 12 is closed at both its upper and lower ends. An inlet 31 is formed in the lower end of the vessel through which a product to be processed is pumped from pump 22 via conduit 33. An outlet is disposed at the upper end of the vessel. The upper end of the vessel 12 has secured thereto a cover plate 32 which closes the upper end of the vessel. The cover plate may be formed as an integral part of the shaft bearing housing 34. The cover plate 32 may be secured to the vessel 12 by suitable means such as bolts 36 and may be constructed so as to form the upper end closure for the cylindrical chamber 26 surrounding the vessel.

The shaft 14 is rotatably supported in the axially extending bearing housing 34 in a conventional manner by upper and lower bearings (not shown). Sealing means (not shown) are disposed around the shaft 14 below the lower bearing to prevent processed product from reaching the shaft bearings. A product outlet is formed in the bearing housing 34 below the sealing means.

The drive unit 16 may include a variable speed motor 42 drivingly connected to the shaft 14 by a belt and pulley arrangement 44 and an adjustable control for varying the tension on the belt and pulley arrangement to provide additional shaft speed control.

The separator 20 may comprise an elongated annular member which has a hub portion 52 with a bore 54 for receiving the shaft 14 therethrough. One or more set screws 56 in the hub 52 secure the separator 20 to the shaft. A plurality of transversely extending circumferentially spaced openings or passageways 58 are formed in the wall of the separator. An enlarged bore portion 60 communicates with openings 58 and together with shaft 14 defines a chamber 62 from which material flows upwardly to discharge chamber 64.

A counterbore 66 in the upper portion of the separator forms a seat for a rotating face seal means 68 which rotates with the shaft 14 and separator 20. The rotating seal means 68 cooperates with a stationary face seal assembly 70 attached to a stationary spring and case assembly 72 which is positioned and supported in a bore 74 formed in a stationary seal gland 76. The latter is secured to the cover plate 32.

An annular axially extending filter screen is positioned at the outer periphery of the separator 20. It may be held in place by a ring-like flange member 82 which slides over the hub 52 and is held in place by suitable means such, for example, as a pair of lock nuts 84 and 86 screwed onto hub 52.

A circumferentially extending groove 88 is formed in the lower face 90 of radially extending flange 92 formed on the upper part of hub 52. Another circumferentially extending groove 94 is formed in the upper face 96 of the flange member 82. The upper and lower edges of the filter screen means 80 are supported in the grooves 88 and 94, the nut 84 being effective to clamp the screen between the flanges 92 and 82.

The filter screen 80 prevents dispersing media from entering the passages 58 and moving to the product outlet 40. From time to time it becomes necessary to replace or repair the filter screen. It will be apparent from the drawings that if the filter screen is a continuous annular unit the entire shaft with the agitator disc assembly must be removed from the mixing vessel to gain access to the filter screen to remove it. To avoid this problem, especially in a large size unit, 1 provide a split filter screen, that is, one which is made up of two separate semi-circular screen segments 100 and 102 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the assembly the adjacent ends 100a, 102a 100b and 102b of the two screen segments are sealed together by suitable means such, for example, as sealing members 104 and 106 having a substantially l cross-section and preferably made of neoprene. The ends of the screen halves fit into the opposing grooves 104a. 104b, 106a and l06b of the sealing members. With such an arrangement, in order to gain access to the separator and filter screen 80 it would be possible, of course, to lift the bearing housing and shaft assembly upwardly out of the mixing vessel a short distance after releasing the cover plate 32 and housing from its secured position. it is preferable, however, to avoid even this procedure. Therefore 1 have provided a hand-hole 110 in the wall of the mixing vessel closely adjacent the separator 20 through which access to the filter screen 80 is made readily available. The handhole is circular and necessarily extends through both the wall of the mixing vessel 12 and the outer circumferential jacket 24 of the temperature control chamber 26. An elongated transversely extending cylinder 112 extends into the mixing vessel and is secured to both the mixing vessel wall and the outer wall 24 of the chamberv 26. A cover assembly 114 is provided to close the hand-hole 110. The cover assembly comprises a cover plate 116, a cylindrical extension 118 welded to the cover plate and curved end member 120 welded to the cylindrical extension 118. The curved end member 120 is formed with a radius of curvature which is the same as that of the mixing vessel wall as noted particularly from FIG. 6. The cylindrical extension 118 fits slidably into the cylinder 112 which is welded to the mixing vessel 12 and jacket 24. A seal means is provided between the elongated cylinder 112 and the cylindrical extension 118 to prevent leakage of product out of the mixing vessel. Such seal means is here shown by way of example as a seal ring 122 disposed on the outer wall of cylindrical extension 118.

The cover assembly is removably secured in the elongated cylinder 112 by suitable means such, for example, as a plurality of nut and bolt arrangements 124 wherein the bolts are welded to the elongated cylinder 112. Easy access thus is provided to the filter screen and separator. Once the hand-hole cover has been removed it is necessary only to reach into the vessel and loosen the lock nuts 84 and 86 to permit the flange 82 to drop down. The sealing members 104 and 106 which seal the ends of the screen members are then easily removed allowing the screen segments to be easily removed.

Dealing further with the problem of ease of cleaning and removal of remaining product, I provide in the base of the mixing vessel an outlet 130. This outlet may be controlled by an attached valve 132 or merely a drain plug to seal the opening. The valve 132 may be located closely adjacent the outlet or be fitted in a conduit leading from the outlet 130. It is necessary, of course, to provide a screen member 134 over the outlet to hold back the dispersing media. The screen member may be of the same type of screen material as used to surround the separator 20. The outlet avoids the necessity of providing some manner of tilting the mixing vessel in order to remove product which may remain, for example, at the end of a processing run.

To make maintenance and cleaning still easier, I also provide in the base of the mixing vessel an unscreened opening means or outlet 136 for allowing the dispersing media, such as metal shot, to run out when that becomes desirable. Again while removal of dispersing media in a small laboratory mill may not present too much of a problem it does present a problem in the larger size units. Previously removal of shot was accomplished by tilting the mixing vessel. The opening may be controlled by a plug, valve or other suitable means.

It will be apparent that l have provided several features which contribute to the overall convenience and accessibility to apparatus of this type for purposes of cleaning and repair including means for removing the filter screen working from the inside of the apparatus, convenient means for removing finished product remaining in the mill and convenient means for removing dispersing media for inspection or replacement.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed it will be appreciated that these are shown by way of example only, and the invention is not to be limited thereto as other variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its fullest possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for deagglomerating and dispersing solid particles held in agglomerated form and carried in suspension in a liquid vehicle by the action of a dispersing media on the solids comprising:

a mixing vessel having a fluid inlet at one end thereof and a fluid outlet at the other end thereof, said vessel being adapted to have a charge of dispersing media introduced therein, said inlet also being adapted to be operatively connected to means for introducing a fluid mixture into said inlet under pressure and moving said fluid mixture through said inlet, and through the dispersing media to said outlet;

a rotatable shaft extending into said vessel and adapted to be driven from a power source;

agitating means operatively associated with said shaft within said vessel for agitating the dispersing media;

a separator for separating dispersing media from the fluid mixture, said separator being operatively associated with said shaft and closely adjacent thereto and disposed in the path of flow between said vessel inlet and outlet;

means defining inlet means and outlet means in said separator, said separator outlet means being in fluid communication with said vessel outlet;

said separator including a plurality of removable screen segments attached to said separator and surrounding the outside thereof;

retaining means on said separator for holding the screen segments in a continuous annular arrangement about said separator; and

opening means in said vessel wall defining a hand hole of sufficient size to provide access to said separator and said removable screen elements to permit removal of the latter from said separator.

2. ln apparatus for deagglomerating and dispersing solid partic'les held in agglomerated form and carried in a liquid vehicle while in a mixing vessel in which the particles are subjected to the action of a dispersing media while being forced to flow through the interior of the vessel and subjected to a centrifugal and agitating action therein which causes the relatively heavier dispersing media to be thrown outwardly and separated from the flow path of the relatively lighter product or liquid mixture being processed, a dispersing media separator located interiorly of the mixing vessel so as to be positioned in said flow path and having means for the admission of the processed product thereinto and therethrough so that the product is forced to travel through said dispersing media separator in a direction opposite to that generated by the normal centrifugal force,

said separator including a plurality of removable screen segments attached to said separator and surrounding the outside thereof;

retaining means on said separator for holding the screen segments in a continuous annular arrangement about said separator; and

opening means in said vessel wall defining a hand hole of sufficient size to provide access to said separator and said removable screen elements to permit removal of the latter from said separator.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including sealing means disposed between the mating ends of said screen segments.

a. Apparatus for deagglomerating and dispersing solid particles held in agglomerated form and carried in a liquid vehicle,

said apparatus comprising a mixing vessel in which provision is made for the particles to be subjected to the action of a dispersing media while being forced to flow through the interior of the vessel and subjected to a centrifugal and agitating action therein, which causes the relatively heavier dispersing media to be thrown outwardly and separated from the flow path of the relatively lighter product or liquid mixture being processed;

a dispersing media separator located interiorly of the mixing vessel so as to be positionedin said flow path and having means for the admission of the processed product thereinto and therethrough so that the product is forced to travel through said dispersing media separator in a direction opposite to that generated by the normal centrifugal force,

said separator being disposed about a rotatable shaft and including a plurality of removable screen segments attached to said separator and surrounding the outside thereof;

retaining means on said separator for holding the screen segments in a continuous annular arrangement about said separator; and

opening means in said vessel wall defining a hand hole of sufficient size to provide access to said separator and said removable screen segments to permit removal of the latter from said separator.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein,

said separator together with the separable filter screen sections, is secured to said shaft for rotation 

1. Apparatus for deagglomerating and dispersing solid particles held in agglomerated form and carried in suspension in a liquid vehicle by the action of a dispersing media on the solids comprising: a mixing vessel having a fluid inlet at one end thereof and a fluid outlet at the other end thereof, said vessel being adapted to have a charge of dispersing media introduced therein, said inlet also being adapted to be operatively connected to means for introducing a fluid mixture into said inlet under pressure and moving said fluid mixture through said inlet, and through the dispersing media to said outlet; a rotatable shaft extending into said vessel and adapted to be driven from a power source; agitating means operatively associated with said shaft within said vessel for agitating the dispersing media; a separator for separating dispersing mEdia from the fluid mixture, said separator being operatively associated with said shaft and closely adjacent thereto and disposed in the path of flow between said vessel inlet and outlet; means defining inlet means and outlet means in said separator, said separator outlet means being in fluid communication with said vessel outlet; said separator including a plurality of removable screen segments attached to said separator and surrounding the outside thereof; retaining means on said separator for holding the screen segments in a continuous annular arrangement about said separator; and opening means in said vessel wall defining a hand hole of sufficient size to provide access to said separator and said removable screen elements to permit removal of the latter from said separator.
 2. In apparatus for deagglomerating and dispersing solid particles held in agglomerated form and carried in a liquid vehicle while in a mixing vessel in which the particles are subjected to the action of a dispersing media while being forced to flow through the interior of the vessel and subjected to a centrifugal and agitating action therein which causes the relatively heavier dispersing media to be thrown outwardly and separated from the flow path of the relatively lighter product or liquid mixture being processed, a dispersing media separator located interiorly of the mixing vessel so as to be positioned in said flow path and having means for the admission of the processed product thereinto and therethrough so that the product is forced to travel through said dispersing media separator in a direction opposite to that generated by the normal centrifugal force, said separator including a plurality of removable screen segments attached to said separator and surrounding the outside thereof; retaining means on said separator for holding the screen segments in a continuous annular arrangement about said separator; and opening means in said vessel wall defining a hand hole of sufficient size to provide access to said separator and said removable screen elements to permit removal of the latter from said separator.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 including sealing means disposed between the mating ends of said screen segments.
 4. Apparatus for deagglomerating and dispersing solid particles held in agglomerated form and carried in a liquid vehicle, said apparatus comprising a mixing vessel in which provision is made for the particles to be subjected to the action of a dispersing media while being forced to flow through the interior of the vessel and subjected to a centrifugal and agitating action therein, which causes the relatively heavier dispersing media to be thrown outwardly and separated from the flow path of the relatively lighter product or liquid mixture being processed; a dispersing media separator located interiorly of the mixing vessel so as to be positioned in said flow path and having means for the admission of the processed product thereinto and therethrough so that the product is forced to travel through said dispersing media separator in a direction opposite to that generated by the normal centrifugal force, said separator being disposed about a rotatable shaft and including a plurality of removable screen segments attached to said separator and surrounding the outside thereof; retaining means on said separator for holding the screen segments in a continuous annular arrangement about said separator; and opening means in said vessel wall defining a hand hole of sufficient size to provide access to said separator and said removable screen segments to permit removal of the latter from said separator.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein, said separator together with the separable filter screen sections, is secured to said shaft for rotation therewith. 